#stuckinazeroth

Tea’s Perspective

Alivia weeped silently, head buried in her knees and arms.

It was the first moment she had spent alone all day, and the shock of arriving somewhere new had long wore off. Now it was just her against a world that was trying to kill her.

She missed her mother, her father, her brother, and her friends. She missed her fluffy, enveloping bed and cozy blankets. She missed security.

She missed love.

She had been dating someone–a right handsome gentleman from her hometown who worked as an engineer for a nearby oil company. He showered her with affection and had challenged her mind beyond just simple dates and movies. They went to the library, read books, and expanded their minds.

And now he was gone. Just gone. Any future they may have had…poof, gone. Alivia sat on a window seat at the edge of the archway, watching the thunderstorm roll through. Azeroth itself was not immune to wild weather, of course. She felt the rumble of the claps within the building, and watched as the flashes of light brightened the landscape beyond her field of vision.

“I thought I heard some rustling.” A soft voice whispered, coming down to meet Alivia’s level. “The storms are lovely out here.” 

Alivia quickly wiped her eyes with her wrists and glanced up to see Ithariel padding behind her, golden hair in a messy side ponytail. "Mind if I join you."

 Alivia shrugged and shook her head, and stared off into the steady rain. "Just...can't sleep." She sighed, a short, frustrated exhalation.

"I know the feeling well." Ithariel said blankly, sitting down next to Alivia, curling her legs beneath her. "It is hard to calm the mind sometimes." Alivia didn't say anything for a few moments, and flinched slightly when Ithariel squeezed her hand.

"It will be okay, Alivia. We will return you to your family." She murmured quietly.

Alivia rested her chin on her arms and closed her eyes. "One way or another." She quietly vowed, and Ithariel smiled slightly. 

"That's the spirit." She added, and looked off into the distance as another flash lit up the night sky. "It's difficult, I know." 

Alivia glanced over and Ithariel pulled back the sleeve of her white sleeping blouse, rubbing her thumb over a wrist tattoo of five birds. Three silhouettes had been decoratively slashed with an ornate flourish, almost calligraphic. "I make it my goal to return others home, especially our own people." Ithariel whispered. "You are no exception my dear, even as a stranger." She paused.

“That actually makes you more important.” Her voice whispered. “It is easy to help one’s friends and family. It is harder to help someone you don’t know.”

Alivia swallowed, not knowing what to say. She had only been here for a week, and she had, actually, made a decent impression on the other Farstriders. Her archery skills had remained excellent, and she had contributed to the nightly meals. In fact, they had even had excess that they would sold to the nobles in Silvermoon.

“I am glad I can contribute while I am here.” Alivia murmured, and looked at Ithariel with a soft smile. The lieutenant wasn’t so tough when it was just them. She reminded Alivia of her sister, headstrong at work and in public, but supportive and relaxed at home.

“Tomorrow we’re going to make a trip to the city to sell the excess cuts of meat and pick up some additional supplies. I’d like you to come along.” Ithariel suggested, and slowly stood up, stretching and yawning.

Alivia got happy goosebumps at the idea and nodded. “I’d love to. I haven’t been to Silvermoon City since I was a little girl.” She took Ithariel’s outstretched hand and stood up, hugging her tight. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re...welcome.” Ithariel stammered, surprised, hugging her back. 

Alivia stepped back behind the sheer curtain and crawled back onto her cot, which felt a little softer than it had before.

Ithariel watched her disappear and breathed in sharply, letting loose a long sigh. She studied her own wrist again, deep in thought, as her thumb touched one of the struck out silhouettes. Tears fell onto her wrist and she stumbled out of her memories, turning back toward her own cot and warm blankets.

“I couldn’t protect you, but I’m damn sure going to protect her.” she vowed in a whisper, hugging her blankets closer.

Alivia’s Perspective

So I ended up telling the blonde-haired elf on the fly that I came from a small farming and fishing community from further north. She seemed to buy it, (it’s actually not far from the truth) and then insisted that I stay a day or two to recover from my ordeal. Real bread, butter, and chunky meat soup for the first time in days was so delicious. I didn’t ask what the meat was...but then again I was too starved to care. A bath in the river nearby with soap helped me to feel like a million bucks...or should I say a million gold? Too bad there's no exchange rate here.

While laying in bed, I had time to think about Eversong Woods and everything I remembered from playing the game. Silvermoon City had to be here, along with powerful magi. Surely they would be able to figure out why I was pulled to Azeroth right before crashing…and possibly dying. But what forces were at work to cause something like that to occur?

After a hot cup of tea to relax me, I drifted off to sleep. No dreams, just pure rest (without the fear of being eaten by a giant cat.) I woke up when I heard the softest footsteps pad by my cot, and cracked my eyes to see two leather-clad hunters set off into the dark of the morning. Their bows were gorgeous leather-wrapped wood works of art complete with burnished silver ornamentation and detailed quivers on their backs. As an archer and hunter myself, I appreciated the beauty of the moment before they slipped off into the dark.

Another hour of sleep went by and I finally felt rested enough to get up. By then the other residents of the Farstrider Retreat as they called it had settled into their daily routines by the dimmest light of the morning -- looking over ore samples, prepping leathers for tanning, cooking some delicious-smelling food, and filleting fish.

If it weren’t for the two pointy-eared guys in the back of the main room casting faint purple swirls on the tips of his arrows, I might actually have believed I was still in my world.

I sighed quietly, swung my legs over the edge of the cot, folded my bedding into a pile, and tucked the cot against the wall. Footsteps quickly approached me, and I turned to see the same blonde-haired woman from the previous day. She had told me her name was Lieutenant Ithariel Dawnrunner, and that in public I would address her as Lieutenant, but in private conversation Ithariel was fine. I figured she had decided my presence wasn’t a total nuisance if I could be useful.

“Alright Alivia Dawn, it’s time to get you into some...proper armor.” she said dryly, with a slight smile slipping through. “Come with me.”

I followed her up the secluded ramp to the second level where she had a tall shelf filled with leather gear. She eyed me and then pulled out a pair of brown pants, a red long-sleeved tunic, and several worn ornately decorated leather breastplates and wristguards. With that, she gave me a green wool cloak and a simple worn gold clasp. She set them on a chair and opened the small doors at the bottom of the shelf, pulling out a pair of leather boots.

“I will loan these to you for a few days. I hope by then you will have demonstrated some sort of skills or talent that will allow you to earn money to travel home.” she offered, and rested her hand on her sword. 

“Get dressed. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

I peeled off the simple clothes I had slept in and scurried into the new outfit, taking a little extra time to figure out the extra layers. A quick french braid to the side later and I looked...well, pretty damn good...

...ok FINE, I looked like at least like a level 20 scrub!